Starting January 1, 2026, Oregon workers can use protected sick time to donate blood. Yes, you read that right: the same bucket of time you’d use for the flu, a doctor visit, or taking care of a family member can now cover a trip to the blood drive. It’s a small tweak with big ripple effectsfor employees trying to do a good deed without risking a paycheck, and for employers who want their policies to stay on the right side of the law (and the right side of their workforce’s patience).

This update comes from Senate Bill 1108, and it’s designed to make donating easier during a time when blood shortages are not exactly rare. Think of it as Oregon saying: “We’d like you to be a hero. Also, we’d like you to still pay rent.”

What Changed (and When): The SB 1108 Update in Plain English

Oregon’s earned sick time law already spelled out a long list of valid reasons to use sick time. SB 1108 adds one more: blood donationspecifically, blood donation made through a voluntary program approved or accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) or the American Red Cross.

Effective date: January 1, 2026. From that day forward, blood donation is a permissible use of Oregon sick time.

In practice, this means an employee who has accrued sick time (paid or unpaid, depending on employer size) can use it to donate blood without getting penalized under attendance policies or losing protected statusassuming they follow the employer’s reasonable procedures for requesting the time.

Quick Refresher: How Oregon Sick Time Works (Because Context Matters)

Before we zoom in on blood donation leave, here’s the cheat sheet on Oregon sick timebecause the “blood donation” update plugs into rules that already exist.

Who Gets Paid vs. Protected (But Unpaid) Sick Time?

• Paid sick time generally applies if an employer has 10+ employees (or 6+ if the employer has a location in Portland).
• Smaller employers still must provide protected sick time, but it may be unpaid.

How Sick Time Accrues

• Employees earn at least 1 hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year (employers can also choose to frontload at least 40 hours).
• Employees can generally begin using accrued sick time after 90 days of employment.
• Employers must provide regular updates on balances (often via paystubs or quarterly notices).

Those rules still stand. SB 1108 doesn’t reinvent sick timeit simply adds another approved reason for using it.

So…How Does Blood Donation Sick Leave Work in Oregon?

Here’s what employees and employers should know to avoid confusion, conflict, and that awkward moment where HR says “We support community health!” and then denies the request to donate blood.

1) It’s a Permitted Use of Sick TimeNot a Separate New Bank (Usually)

Oregon didn’t create a brand-new “blood donation PTO account” (no special vampire-themed balance line on your paystub, unfortunately). Instead, blood donation becomes a permitted use of the sick time employees already earn under Oregon law.

2) The Law Ties Blood Donation to Recognized Programs

To qualify, the donation must be made through a voluntary program approved or accredited by AABB or the American Red Cross. This is a practical guardrail: it points employees and employers toward established, credible blood donation infrastructure.

3) The “4-Hour Rule” (Yes, There’s a Cap)

Most summaries of SB 1108 emphasize a key limit: employees may use up to four hours per calendar year of accrued sick time for blood donation leave.

That cap matters. It suggests the legislature had a realistic view of how long donation appointments usually takewhile also making sure this doesn’t balloon into a de facto new leave program. Four hours is enough for most people to donate, recover briefly, and avoid driving back to work feeling like a sleepy noodle.

4) Notice Rules: Employers Can Ask for Planning (Up to 14 Days)

Blood donation is often scheduled, so SB 1108 allows an employer to require up to 14 days’ advance notice for intended blood donation leave.

Realistically, not every donation happens with two weeks’ notice (mobile drives pop up, schedules change, life happens). But for planned appointments, employers can require employees to follow the notice policyso long as it’s reasonable and consistently applied.

5) Documentation: “Reasonable” Proof May Be Requested

Employers may request certification confirming the donation appointment and/or completion of the donation. The important word here is reasonable. The intent is verificationnot creating an obstacle course where employees need three signatures, a wax seal, and a signed affidavit from a phlebotomist who swears on a stack of bandages.

6) What Time Counts? (Spoiler: Not Every Minute of Your Day)

Some guidance highlights that leave may only be used for actual blood donation, not for related activities like scheduling the appointment or travel time. That’s a detail worth building into internal policy language, especially for teams with strict scheduling or shift coverage challenges.

In other words: donating blood can be covered; spending two hours driving across the state because “the vibes were better at that donation bus” is probably not the law’s core mission.

Why Oregon Did This: The Public Health Angle (and the Real-World Shortage Problem)

Blood shortages are a recurring issue across the U.S., and severe weather can make them worse by canceling drives and limiting donor turnout. News coverage around the effective date highlighted how canceled drives can quickly translate into thousands of uncollected unitsexactly the kind of gap hospitals can’t “just improvise” around.

Oregon’s change won’t magically solve supply challenges, but it removes a very real barrier: lost pay and attendance consequences. When donating blood competes with a shift, a commute, childcare, and rent, “I’ll do it later” becomes “I’ll do it never.” This update nudges the decision toward “I can actually do this.”

Employer Compliance Checklist: How to Implement Without Drama

If you’re an Oregon employer (or you manage multi-state policies), here’s a practical roadmap. Bonus: it also reduces the odds of a Slack thread titled “Does this company hate blood drives???”

Update Your Written Policy (Handbook + Sick Time Procedures)

• Add blood donation as a permitted use of Oregon sick time effective January 1, 2026.
• Clarify the eligibility criteria (AABB/Red Cross program requirement).
• State the annual cap (up to four hours per calendar year) in your Oregon-specific addendum.
• Spell out notice requirements (up to 14 days when foreseeable).
• Explain documentation rules in plain language (what’s acceptable proof and how to submit it).

Train Managers (Because Policies Don’t Enforce Themselves)

Many compliance failures happen at the supervisor level: someone denies a request out of habit, labels it “personal time,” or counts it as an unexcused absence. A 15-minute manager training can prevent a 15-week headache.

Align Timekeeping and Payroll Codes

You don’t necessarily need a separate “blood donation” pay code, but you do need consistent tracking for sick time usage and balances. If you do create a code, keep it simple and avoid turning it into a managerial permission slip.

Don’t Retaliate, Don’t Penalize

This should be obvious, but it’s worth saying: protected leave is protected. Policies that penalize employees for using legally protected sick time can create legal exposureand also create a culture where people stop doing helpful things because it’s not worth the hassle.

Employee Playbook: How to Use Sick Time for Blood Donation Smoothly

If you’re an Oregon employee planning to donate blood and use sick time:

• Give notice if you canespecially if your workplace schedules shifts in advance.
• Use the right language: “I’m requesting Oregon sick time for a qualifying blood donation under the new rules effective Jan. 1, 2026.” (Polite, clear, hard to ignore.)
• Keep proof of the appointment or donation confirmation, in case your employer requests reasonable documentation.
• Be realistic about timing: donation itself is usually quick, but plan for recovery if you tend to feel lightheaded.

Also: eat the snack. The post-donation cookie table is not optional. It’s basically a legal requirement of the universe.

FAQs and “Wait, But What If…” Scenarios

Can an employer deny my request to use sick time for blood donation?

If the request meets the legal criteria (qualifying program, within the annual cap, following reasonable notice/documentation rules), it should be treated as a permitted use of sick timemeaning it’s protected. Denials should be rare and based on legitimate policy application, not “we’re busy” or “that’s not sick leave.”

Does this cover platelet donation or plasma donation?

SB 1108’s framing focuses on blood donation connected to programs approved or accredited by AABB or the American Red Cross. Some donation centers collect whole blood, platelets, or plasma. Employers should avoid guesswork and align internal policy language with the statutory wording and agency guidanceespecially if employees request leave for other types of donations offered by those organizations.

What if I already used all my sick time for the year?

This law doesn’t create extra sick time hours out of thin air. It expands what existing sick time can be used for. If your bank is empty, it’s emptythough you may have other PTO options depending on your employer.

Can I donate my sick time to a coworker so they can donate blood?

Oregon law already includes a provision allowing employees to donate accrued sick time to another employee if the employer has a policy allowing it and the recipient uses the time for an authorized purpose. SB 1108’s addition of blood donation as an authorized purpose may make this more relevantespecially in workplaces that already have a sick-time donation policy.

What This Means for Workplace Culture (Yes, This Is Also About Trust)

On paper, SB 1108 is a modest amendment. In real life, it’s a signal: Oregon is treating blood donation as a public-good activity worth protecting from workplace penalty.

Employers who implement it cleanly can earn real goodwill. The message becomes: “We value your time, your health, and your community impact.” Employers who implement it poorly risk the opposite message: “We love blood donation in theoryas long as it happens on your lunch break while you teleport.”

If you want to go beyond compliance, consider hosting an on-site blood drive, partnering with established organizations, and offering scheduling flexibility. Compliance is the floor; culture is the ceiling.

Real-World Experiences: What Blood Donation Leave Looks Like on the Ground (and What People Get Wrong)

To make this law feel less like legal trivia and more like something you’ll actually deal with on a Tuesday, here are workplace patterns that tend to show up when blood donation becomes a protected sick-time use.

Experience #1: The “Shift Swap Panic” in Retail and Hospitality

In hourly, coverage-driven environments, the first reaction is often: “We support donating blood… but who’s covering the register?” What works best is treating blood donation requests like any other foreseeable sick-time request. When employees provide notice (and many will, because donation appointments are often scheduled), managers can plan coverage without making it personal. The mistake is turning it into a moral debate: “Do you really need to do this during your shift?” That’s a fast track to resentment and inconsistent enforcement.

Experience #2: The “Documentation Anxiety” in Office Settings

Some employers worry employees will misuse the new category. In practice, blood donation is one of the easier leave types to verify without invading privacy. A simple appointment confirmation or post-donation note from the organization typically does the job. The best experiences happen when HR communicates a straightforward process: a single email inbox or form, clear submission timing, and a promise that documentation won’t be stored like a prized collectible. The worst experiences happen when requirements feel punitivemultiple approvals, unclear rules, or shifting standards from one manager to the next.

Experience #3: The “What Counts as Time?” Argument

Employees often assume the entire outingtravel, waiting, donation, recoverycounts automatically. Employers sometimes assume only the needle-in-arm minutes count. That gap is where friction lives. A practical middle ground is to apply the law consistently with written guidance: define the time unit (hourly increments), outline what you’ll approve (donation appointment time), and encourage employees to schedule nearby donation sites when possible. If an employee feels woozy afterward, remember: sick time can already cover illness and recovery. A rigid stance can backfire if it forces someone to work while they’re genuinely unwell after donating.

Experience #4: The Unexpected Morale Boost

When companies communicate the change in a positive way“We’re updating our Oregon sick time policy so you can donate blood without hassle”employees notice. Some workplaces see informal “donation squads” form: coworkers schedule appointments together, coordinate coverage, and treat it like a team effort. That kind of morale is hard to buy and surprisingly easy to lose if leadership treats the policy as a nuisance.

Experience #5: Multi-State Employers Finally Creating Oregon-Specific Addenda

National handbooks often try to be one-size-fits-none. Oregon is a reminder that state leave laws are highly specific. The employers who handle this well typically create an Oregon supplement that includes sick time accrual, usage reasons (now including blood donation), notice expectations, and reporting rules. It’s not glamorous, but it prevents confusionand it keeps managers from freelancing their own “policy interpretations,” which is how compliance problems are born.

The takeaway: the smoothest implementations combine clarity, consistency, and a tiny bit of humanity. People donate blood to help others. Your policy shouldn’t make them feel like they’re requesting time off to start a pirate crew.

Conclusion: The Bottom Line on Oregon’s Blood Donation Sick Leave Expansion

Oregon’s SB 1108 takes a practical approach: blood donation is now a protected reason to use earned sick time starting January 1, 2026, tied to established donation programs, and generally capped at four hours per calendar year. For employees, it removes a financial and attendance barrier to donating. For employers, it’s a policy update you’ll want to implement cleanlybecause compliance is mandatory, but goodwill is optional (and incredibly valuable).

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